2018ANNUAL REPORT

BOARD OF DIRECTORSChair: Kate Reid Koeze Grand Rapids, MIVice-Chair: Vernice Miller-Travis Bowie, MDTreasurer: William Linstead Goldsmith Philadelphia, PABrent Baeslack Bradford, MAAndy Bauer Portland, CTElizabeth Dickinson Minneapolis, MNRobert Garcia Los Angeles, CA

Maxine Lipeles St. Louis, MOMarisa Perales Austin, TXMyrna Poticha Denver, COOscar Ramirez Washington, D.C.Lawson Shadburn Brooklyn, NYBrigid Shea Austin, TXWynnie-Fred Victor Hinds Newark, NJMarguerite Young Oakland, CA

CORPORATE OFFICERSPresident: Robert WendelgassSecretary: Kathleen E. Aterno

Assistant Secretary: Margi Armstrong

Celebrating David Zwick and the Clean Water Act. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton issued a proclamation on the 46th anniversary of the Clean Water Act’s passage, declaring that clean water is essential to our economy and quality of life, an invaluable resource to be protected and cherished; and that every American should be able to enjoy clean and healthy drinking water. The proclamation honors the late David Zwick for his dedication to the cause of clean water, founding of Clean Water Action, role in the drafting and passage of the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts, and grassroots movement building to protect and defend clean water, and proclaims October 18, 2108 as David Zwick Day.

CLEAN WATER ACTION’s mission is to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life.

Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups and coalitions, and campaigns to elect environmental candidates and to solve environmental and community problems.

JOIN US! Together we’re making a difference for Clean Water:• Take action to protect drinking water and clean up polluted waterways;• Get health-harming toxics out of everyday products;• Protect our water from dirty energy threats — drilling and fracking

for oil and gas, and power plant pollution;• Build a future of clean water and clean energy;• Keep our clean water laws strong and effective to protect water

and health.

We all live downstream.

Taking A Stand to Protect Clean WaterThe political and policy environment for protecting clean water has never been more challenging. Clean Water Action, its members and allies remain on the front lines of the fight to keep fundamental protections strong and effective — for our water, for our health, for our climate and the planet’s future. Nevertheless, 2018 brought some significant wins, and steady gains in the size and strength of our clean water movement.

Clean Water Action led efforts that stopped several Trump Administration efforts to roll back water protections:

• Countering attempts to gut or eliminate the Clean Water Rule, which would have allowed more pollution in people’s drinking water sources.

• Blocking proposals to increase toxic coal ash discharges into our water.

• Stymieing numerous attempts to slash Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding and to use “must-pass” spending bills as cover for back-door measures to weaken or eliminate environmental safeguards.

Clean Water Action mobilized hundreds of thousands of Clean Water Voters in grassroots campaigns to push back against all the proposed Dirty Water rollbacks, and also to build pro-environment turnout in the fall midterm elections. This nonpartisan, issue-based campaigning helped to defeat anti-environment incumbents, elect and re-elect environmental champions at every level. Voters rebuked more than two dozen of Congress’ worst Dirty Water Representatives (those with near-failing voting scores) by voting them out of office.

Ongoing accountability campaigns together with allies helped to keep the spotlight on unethical, anti-environmental actions by political appointees at EPA and the Department of Interior, leading to the resignations of EPA’s Scott Pruitt and Interior’s Ryan Zinke.

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18 PENNSYLVANIAENVIRONMENTAL SCORECARD

Since the start of the 115th Congress in 2017, assaults on basic safeguards for our water, air and health have become more frenzied than ever before. Clean Water Action’s Scorecard documents these attacks and shows you how your representatives voted on key environmental legislation.

CLEAN WATER ACTION’SSCORECARDFOR THE 115TH CONGRESS

WINNING FOR WATER IN COURT: Clean Water Action continued to collaborate with allies on legal strategies to challenge EPA successfully in court, prevailing in 2 major cases so far, and joining another lawsuit in October against EPA’s latest reckless and unlawful actions.

The Trump Administration has been trying to block the Clean Water Rule, which protects drinking water for millions of Americans, as well as small streams and wetlands which provide critical natural habitat while filtering pollution and helping to reduce flooding. In a summer 2018 ruling, the court found in favor of clean water, allowing the rule to take effect in 22 states. While the Administration appeals this decision, Clean Water Action continues to organize in opposition to its Dirty Water Agenda.

Also in 2018, a separate court decision found that federal rules limiting water pollution from toxic coal ash should be strengthened — not made weaker, as the Trump EPA has proposed. On the heels of this win Clean Water Action and allies are now challenging EPA’s scheme to roll back its already-insufficient coal ash protections — all while communities struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which released tons of toxic coal ash into waterways across the southeast.

Taking A Stand, continued

Clean Water Voters educated and turned out by Clean Water Action provided the winning margin in dozens of close local, state and federal races in 2018. Much of this nonpartisan campaign activity focused on key districts in Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia and saw field organizers and volunteers

knock on more than a half-million doors.

Pro-environment candidates elected in the November 2018 midterms with help from Clean Water Voters included: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Rep. Angie Craig (MN), Rep. Andy Kim (NJ) and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (VA).

Contact Clean Water Action for more on these and other 2018 electoral wins.

Note: Consistent with its 501(c)(3) tax status, Clean Water Fund neither endorses candidates nor advocates for or against their election.

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PROTECTING CLEAN WATER FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS: Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund are also pursuing a positive, proactive agenda for keeping our water clean:

• Organizing with a new national coalition around the problem of harmful algal blooms fueled by pollution from industrial-scale farming and animal operations, and supporting long-overdue water infrastructure investments to replace and modernize failing pipes and treatment plans.

• Bringing together environmental, conservation, public health and water utility experts in an innovative collaborative focused on protecting drinking water sources — advancing “upstream” strategies to prevent pollution, destructive development and other activities that threaten communities’ drinking water.

• Tackling the problem of lead in drinking water, through a national collaborative to replace the old lead service lines that run between water mains and people’s homes. Clean Water Action is working locally to support at-risk communities — securing the nation’s strongest lead regulations in Michigan, and organizing to get the lead out of older cities’ water systems in places like Philadelphia, Newark, Pittsburgh, Boston’s suburbs and Baltimore.

• Working with communities responding to risks from PFAS chemicals used in thousands of consumer products, including food packaging, personal care products and non-stick coatings. These largely unregulated toxic chemicals are showing up in drinking water sources in thousands of communities. Clean Water Action is also pushing regulators and major retail companies to replace toxic product ingredients with safer alternatives, and helping consumers demand safer products.

• Continuing to build momentum against single-use disposable plastics through the award-winning ReThink Disposable programs, engaging more consumers and businesses to reduce and eliminate wasteful throwaways that are trashing our water, sticking taxpayers with cleanup costs, and harming both wildlife and human health.

▲ The latest editions in Clean Water Action’s Putting Drinking Water First series cover the challenge of toxic PFAS contamination, and the growing, recurring problem of harmful/toxic algal outbreaks — fueled by pollution from industrial agriculture (intensive meat and grain production). These white papers outline these scope of the water and health threats, identify underlying causes and those responsible, and recommend solutions for policymakers and the public.

What are PFAS? PFAS is a class of human-made chemicals which includes Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals are very

long-lived, which means that they remain in the environment and in humans and wildlife for a very long time.

Two of these chemicals, PFOA and PFOS are relatively well known, and manufacturers have voluntarily stopped

producing them. However, PFOA and PFAS continue to be detected at contaminated sites, in water, and in our bodies.

• PFOA is found in the blood of most Americans at low levels.

(https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/hoosick/docs/pfoa_blood_sampling_q_and_a_9_2_16.pdf)

• PFAS pollution has been documented at 94 sites in 22 states (including industrial plants, military bases, airports and

fire training sites) and in the tap water of up to 16 million people in 33 states.

(https://www.northeastern.edu/environmentalhealth/2018/04/19/mapping-the-expanding-pfas-crisis/)

There may be as many as 4,000 other PFAS chemicals, and we know less about where they are made, what they are used

for, water contamination or other presence in the environment, their health effects, and in fact in most cases how to

detect them.

How do we use PFAS Chemicals?Use in firefighting foam is common but that’s NOT the only use. They have been

widely used since 1950s in non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain

resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, products that resist grease, water,

and oil, and food packaging (like pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags).

What are their health effects?• They are concerning because they are very persistent, don’t break down in the environment or the human body and

can accumulate over time. Children are particularly at risk.

• Earlier studies have shown that PFOA causes cancer, PFOS disrupts thyroid hormones, both can affect the immune

system and reduce infant birth weights.

• A recent study released by the US Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) found that PFAS were

more harmful than previously thought and that “safe levels” were 10 times less than previously thought. Potential

health effects identified in this study include liver damage, increases in cholesterol, increased risk of thyroid disease,

asthma, and infertility, decreased response to vaccines, riskier pregnancies, and decreases in birth weight.

How does contamination occur and how are people exposed?

• Firefighting foam used at factories or airports can contaminate soil and groundwater.

• Waste from PFAS manufacturing or from industrial facilities using PFAS or making products containing them can also

contaminate soil and water.

• Food packaging containing PFAS can potentially transmit PFAS to the food in the packaging, which we eat.

• Use of other products like carpeting, clothing, packaging materials containing PFAS, personal care products, and

others can expose our skin to the chemicals.

• Working at a facility that produces PFAS or that makes products using these chemicals can also be a source of

exposure.

PFAS Chemicals: Protecting Our Drinking Water and Our Health

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Putting Drinking Water First to Address Nutrient Pollution“Nutrient pollution remains one of the greatest challenges to our Nation’s water quality

and presents a growing threat to public health and local economies — contributing

to toxic harmful algal blooms, contamination of drinking water sources, and costly

impacts on recreation, tourism, and fisheries.” 1— Joel Beauvais, Deputy Assistant Administrator, U.S. EPA, September 22, 2016Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 the United States has made great progress in

cleaning up industrial chemicals and sewage pollution, but has failed to significantly reduce run-off

of nutrient pollution into our nation’s rivers, lakes, and bays. Nutrient pollution refers to nitrogen

and phosphorus, which are essential life elements that have enabled agriculture production in the

United States to thrive, but at a huge cost to water quality. The agriculture industry, the largest water

polluter in the country, is largely exempt from Clean Water Act protections/programs. When it rains,

nutrient-rich fertilizer and animal waste pour into nearby streams and rivers, contributing to toxic algal outbreaks and dead zones downstream. This pollution also seeps into groundwater. Urban storm water runoff, wastewater treatment plant discharges, failing septic tanks, and fossil fuel emissions are other sources of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution.2 Pollution from nitrogen and phosphorus is one of the most pervasive water quality problems in the U.S.3 and there is increasing concern about their impact on drinking water.Nutrients and Water QualityExcess nutrients can cause algae to grow faster than aquatic

ecosystems can process, resulting in algal outbreaks that are green, red, or brown, and appear like paint or thick scum on the surface of water. Some algae release toxins that can kill fish and other animals. These toxins can concentrate up food chains when algae are consumed by small fish and shellfish, which can harm larger fish, birds, and

other fish-eating animals. Even algal outbreaks that are not toxic can harm fish and other aquatic

life because these outbreaks coat surface water in a thick scum that blocks sunlight and reduces

available food. When algae die, the decomposition of this organic matter consumes oxygen, which

creates hypoxic (low-oxygen) dead zones in rivers, lakes, and bays, which can suffocate and kill fish,

crabs, clams, and other organisms. There are over 166 dead zones documented nationwide,4 the

largest one being in the Gulf of Mexico, which in 2017 was measured to be almost the size of New

Jersey (8,776 square miles). It was the largest recorded since scientists first measured the bloom in

1985.5 Runoff from agriculture and land development in the Mississippi River watershed — spanning

INDUSTRYChemical

discharge and waste

URBAN LIFESewage and

waste runoff

AGRICULTUREFertilizer runoff (nitrogen and phosphorus) and animal waste

Sources of Excess Nutrients

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CLEAN WATER-CLEAN ENERGY: Clean Water Action continues to expand its research, education and action at the critical juncture of water, climate and energy. The organization’s latest reports and white papers expose how the industry’s record-breaking political spending and lobbying are polluting our democracy, and have uncovered major gaps in oversight of state and federal programs that are supposed to protect underground water supplies from drilling and fracking. Even newer findings reveal alarming industry practices that abuse tax incentives to reduce climate pollution and redirect those taxpayer dollars to subsidize a planned massive expansion in drilling.

▲ Climate Change is Water Change. The decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord was a huge setback not only for the planet’s future but also for anyone who cares about clean water. The same pollution that drives global warming also has multiple negative impacts on our water — from mining and drilling, to processing, transporting, burning and disposal of the leftover wastes. Clean Water Action is part of the national coalitions opposing this short-sighted action, and is also active locally, where an upwelling of involvement — often led by people of color, indigenous populations, and youth — are having a marked positive impact. There is still much that state and local governments can do to reduce climate-changing pollution and threats to people’s water and health. Climate mobilizations supported by Clean Water Action in Massachusetts and California (above) illustrate the energy behind this movement.

Clean Water Action remains focused on:

Water Defense: Fighting to keep fundamental protections strong and effective, drawing on Clean Water Action’s clean water and drinking water expertise, grassroots campaigns to educate and involve Clean Water Action members and the public, and, increasingly, joining with allies to challenge the Trump Administration’s Dirty Water policies and actions in court.

Movement Building: Working with diverse allies across national and regional coalitions and networks to build the movement to protect clean water and hold polluters and public officials accountable.

National Leadership: Continuing to advance strategies to Put Drinking Water First through regional and national coalitions and collaborative campaigns including the National Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative, the Sourcewater Protection Collaborative, the Clean Water for All Coalition, and others.

Local Support: Helping states and communities organize to fight back against rollback proposals, make headway on longstanding challenges such as sewage and septic pollution and polluted stormwater, invest in promising green infrastructure solutions, respond to harmful/toxic algal blooms and outbreaks and their causes (industrial poultry, dairy and meat production, and unsustainable, intensive farming operations), expand access to clean drinking water, and protect people from lead in drinking water and emerging threats such as toxic PFAS chemical contamination.

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Promoting clean water, from watershed to water tap.◀ Doing Nothing to Protect Clean Water? Not Acceptable! After litigation and high profile spills like the 2014 Elk River, West Virginia disaster that left

hundreds of thousands without drinking water, EPA agreed in 2016 to meet critical Clean Water Act hazardous spill protection requirements. In June 2018 EPA unveiled its long-overdue plan: literally, “do nothing.” Clean Water Action’s rapid-response campaign focused on how the agency’s intentional inaction would perpetuate unacceptable environmental injustices and endanger communities and their drinking water nationwide: organizing 4,800 grassroots comments in opposition; uniting 55 state and national organizations in a joint letter of opposition; collaborating with influential water utility associations to comment on the drinking water risks.

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BAlerted the public to the Administration’s radical plans to expand offshore oil and gas drilling, rallying more than 10,000 comments and many hand-written letters opposing the plan.

BLed the fight against EPA’s second attempt to repeal the Clean Water Rule protecting drinking water sources, creating campaign materials and social media tools used by environmental allies, enlisting 187 organizations for joint opposition comments, and, organizing more than 15,000 Clean Water Action members to submit postcards and online comments against the repeal.

BRamped up early opposition to the Administration’s proposal, released in December, for rewriting the Clean Water Rule to eliminate critical protections, and opposed EPA’s scheme to create a new Dirty Water Loophole that would exempt pollution from the Clean Water Act if dumped indirectly (via groundwater) rather than straight into the water — involving tens of thousands more people in the fight to protect clean water.

BJoined with allies to protect Great Lakes Restoration funding and other critical environmental programs from potentially devastating federal funding cuts.

Additional activities and progress by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund in 2018:

▲ Water Action Day brought hundreds of Minnesotans, including Clean Water Action staff and members, to the state capitol in St. Paul on May 2 to meet with lawmakers and rally to protect clean water.

◀ Volunteer Beach Cleanups like this Earth Day weekend event in Grand Haven, Michigan (30 pounds of plastics and other trash collected) generate data used to track shoreline waste trends around the Great Lakes.

In addition to their continuing leadership in the national Lead Service Line Replacement collaborative, Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund are also active on lead in drinking water and related lead poisoning prevention concerns at the state and local levels:

• Won the nation’s strongest state “lead and copper” rules in Michigan to keep lead out of contact with drinking water.

• Helped Newark, New Jersey residents in at-risk neighborhoods enroll to get their old lead service lines replaced and receive water filters to protect their tapwater in the interim.

• Worked with local groups and churches to conduct independent testing of drinking water from 200 Baltimore households facing potential lead contamination, and surveyed awareness of lead prevention best practices.

• Organized to help Chelsea, Massachusetts on the path to full lead service line replacements and secure $100,000 in financing from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority. (See photo, right)

• Community based projects in Pennsylvania to address lead in water, soil, paint and children’s products helped convince Pittsburgh authorities to provide full lead service line replacements and free water

filters for affected households. More than 1300 residents of low income Philadelphia area communities participated in Clean Water Action’s lead poisoning prevention and exposure reduction workshops. Clean Water Action is pushing for statewide blood lead level testing for all children under 2 years of age.

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Program Spotlight: Lead and Drinking Water

◀ State Rep. Donna Bullock, local resident Jane Curtis and Clean Water Action’s Maurice Sampson at one Green Ambassador training event on lead in Philadelphia.

PITTSBURGH’S WATER CRISIS Recently, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) announced that our drinking water could be contaminated with lead. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can make kids sick and often causes permanent harm by slowing their mental development, causing learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Lead exposure is also dangerous for adults, especially pregnant women.

PWSA has a plan to replace everyone’s lead pipes, but it will take years before that work is done. In the meantime, we need to protect ourselves. Is your family at risk? Should you be using a water filter? How can Pittsburgh residents get their pipes replaced as soon as possible? Protecting ourselves from lead comes in four easy steps:

IDENTIFY LEAD LINES and report them to PWSA. Learn if you have lead pipes, if your water is contaminated, and if you’ve already been exposed.

LEARN ABOUT LEAD by hosting a presentation by Clean Water Action or by attending a community meeting.

FLUSH & FILTER. A few inexpensive and easy fixes will keep us safe in the short term, while we...

FIX THE SYSTEM for good by working with PWSA and our government to help them find and replace lead service lines in our homes, workplaces, and schools. Speak up and speak out! Hold our elected officials accountable by organizing within our community.

Cleanwater.org/LeadPipesPgh

Clean Water Action’s mission is to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life. Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups and coalitions, and campaigns to elect environmental candidates and to solve environmental and community problems.

Clean Water Action has worked protecting families in Pittsburgh for over 30 years. Previously we got Pittsburgh Public Schools to stop the spraying of toxic pesticides, and helped get pollution filters put on diesel school buses in Pittsburgh to make sure our kids can breathe healthy air.

We are proud to work alongside other community, faith, service, and labor, and organizations, including the Our Water Campaign. This project is supported by funds from the Pittsburgh Foundation. If you know of an organization, church, or business who would like to help get the word out, let us know!

No More Lead Pipes! Pittsburgh is a campaign sponsored by:

Cleanwater.org/LeadPipesPghCleanwater.org/LeadPipesPgh

Clean Water Action 100 Fifth Ave., Suite. 1108

Pittsburgh, PA 15222412-765-3053 ext. 402

atuznik@cleanwater.orgM@CleanH2OPA

CFacebook.com/CleanWaterActionPA

NO MORE LEAD PIPES!

P I T T S B U R G H

NO MORE LEAD PIPES!

P I T T S B U R G H

Learn how to protect your family from

lead in your water

BBegan organizing for a strong Statewide Sanitary Code to tackle sewage pollution (9.4 billion gallons annually) entering Michigan waterways from leaking septic systems.

BSupported an ongoing community-led collaborative on equity issues around Anacostia River and parklands restoration and won increased Anacostia cleanup funding in Washington, DC.

BSecured the nation’s strongest drinking water standard for toxic PFAS chemicals, in New Jersey.

BContinued green infrastructure coalition leadership in Rhode Island and won $20 million in state funding for green infrastructure to reduce polluted stormwater in Virginia.

BWon strengthened rules to limit septic pollution and improve public notification of sewage wastewater overflows in Maryland.

BCollaborated with state and local officials developing a strategy to reduce pollution from road salting in Northern Virginia.

BOrganized a No Dumping Sewage campaign to limit pollution in Hill Country, Texas waterways and helped win adoption of Austin Forward, Austin’s innovative 100-year sustainable climate-water plan.

BAdvocated successfully to incorporate Water as a Public Trust in Connecticut’s state water plan.

BBuilt momentum for passage of California’s Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund.

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Additional activities and progress by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund in 2018:

◀ Rain Barrels constructed and installed through an innovative partnership involving Howard County, Maryland youth help reduce polluted runoff into impaired waterways.

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▶ Groundwater! Clean Water Action members sent more than 3,000 letters, postcards and emails urging Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture to strengthen the state’s Groundwater Protection Rule.

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Supporting clean energy solutions to create jobs and economic growth, fight climate-changing pollution and protect our water.Attacks on climate safeguards and clean energy are also attacks on clean water. Clean Water Action’s expertise on the interconnections between water, energy and environmental policy is a powerful asset for the environmental community’s efforts to prevent further rollbacks, hold the line on new dirty energy projects that threaten severe water and climate impacts, advance clean energy solutions and ensure that more of the economic and environmental benefits of clean energy investments are available to all.

Clean Water Action is fighting the expansion of hydraulic fracturing and enhanced recovery oil and gas extraction techniques that threaten water, pushing for tougher safeguards for communities and their water, where extreme, extractive energy development and infrastructure projects are planned or underway. In addition, as policymakers consider incentives for “carbon capture” techniques some hope may offset fossil fuels’ climate impacts, Clean Water Action is working to improve understanding of the potential water impacts and how effective they are at reducing pollution.

Clean Water Action continues to support local action and leadership on climate:

• Pushing for more ambitious, enforceable clean energy targets and encourage offshore wind.

• Leading New England coalitions advocating to integrate carbon pricing alongside other climate solutions.

• Organizing with grassroots leaders and local governments to increase adoption of energy efficiency and renewables and to make sure voices of youth, communities of color and other key players are heard.

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◀ Clean Water Action researched and reported Carbon Capture and Release (May 2018), on how federal tax incentives to reduce climate-changing carbon emissions through “carbon capture” are actually subsidizing “enhanced oil recovery,”

where the industry uses underground injection of carbon dioxide to force more oil out of the ground.

BOpposed use of toxic oil industry wastewater (“produced water”) for crop irrigation in California and elsewhere.

BFought for smart solar siting that does not sacrifice trees, open space or farmland and against state subsidies for polluting trash-burning incinerators in Maryland.

BPrevented Pennsylvania lawmakers from rolling back state oil and gas pollution rules to 1980s levels and won new pollution limits that will cut methane pollution from new oil and gas wells by 98% in the state.

BOrganized statewide opposition to the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan where its continued operation or proposed replacement threatens Great Lakes water quality, building momentum for shutting the dangerous pipeline down, and fought the proposed Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota.

BBlocked passage of a Minnesota bill to allow Excel Energy to bypass state regulators and force its customers to pay for Prairie Island nuclear plant updates without appropriate oversight.

BLaunched EmpowerNJ, bringing 70 groups together to promote a state energy goal of 100% renewables by 2050 and an end to new fossil fuel projects.

Additional activities and progress by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund in 2018:

◀ Climate Justice. Clean Water Action’s Kim Gaddy, Newark, New Jersey resident and environmental justice organizer, spoke at the September 8th People’s Climate Movement march in Morristown, and again at the Hip Hop Caucus in California, following the September 14th march there.

▲ Youth Forward on Climate. Clean Water Action’s Massachusetts Youth Advisory board, undergraduates from Boston area colleges, hosted an April “I’m with her: A climate affair” networking event for area youth fighting for environmental justice.

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BWorked with Newark, New Jersey volunteers to install “cool roofs” (reflective paint) for small businesses in the Clinton Hill corridor, to reduce indoor temperatures and yield energy bill savings.

BDefended energy efficiency and clean energy funding and won standards requiring 45% clean, renewable energy in Connecticut by 2030; won Massachusetts legislation to expand offshore wind; launched Energize RI Coalition on carbon pricing, promoted mandatory, enforceable carbon emission reduction policies in Rhode Island and defeated a “dirty biomass” bill that would threaten health and undercut this progress.

BOrganized with Lost Hills, California residents (downwind of the notorious Lost Hills Oilfield, near Bakersfield) to install air pollution monitors and build power for newly formed community group, Comite Lost Hills En Accion, fighting to improve air and water quality.

BMaintained Virginia’s moratorium on allowing “cap-in-place” closure of toxic coal ash holding ponds, setting the stage for efforts to secure permanent clean-ups, instead.

Additional activities and progress by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund in 2018:

◀ Fracking Our Backyards: Fighting pipeline projects and proposed expansions of fracked gas in the North-east’s energy mix, Clean Water Action and allies brought Pennsylvania families grappling with air and water pollution from fracking operations where they live to travel to Massachusetts and share their experiences with state lawmakers and others.

▼ Landmark Oil Terminal Ban: Community leaders, labor advocates, clergy and City Council members rallied in front of City Hall in advance of a 14 to 1 Council vote to add crude oil export terminals to Baltimore’s list of banned facilities. On March 28, the measure was signed into law making Baltimore the first East-Coast city to use zoning tools in this way.

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The best opportunities to reduce pollution and waste — and prevent associated health harm — are increasingly at the state and local levels. Clean Water Action has also remained an active leader in national toxics campaign coalitions and networks, including the SAFER states network, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, and the Mind the Store Campaign, which mobilizes consumers to demand improvements from major retail stores.

Public awareness and concern around toxic PFAS chemicals (found in consumer products, food packaging, nonstick coatings and firefighting foams) are on the rise. Contamination near manufacturing sites and fire training facilities appears linked to PFAS chemicals being detected in drinking water sources. More troubling, recent studies suggest as many as 98% of people may have detectable levels of PFAS

compounds in their blood. Clean Water Action has moved quickly to help communities respond, joined with coalition partners to press for accountability and “polluter pay” solutions from the companies responsible for the chemicals’ manufacturing, and secured the nation’s strongest limits for PFAS chemicals in drinking water, a model policy adopted in New Jersey.

Advancing “upstream” solutions. Protecting people — especially children — from toxic harm. Reducing and preventing waste and pollution at the source.

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Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund continued to expand ReThink Disposable programs in California, and added new ReThink initiatives in New Jersey, Rhode Island and soon in additional locations. The program works with businesses, consumers and local governments to reduce single-use disposable trash. Clean Water Action also organizes for solution-oriented policies, including bans and phase-outs for some of single-use items most likely to end up trashing communities’ waste cleanup budgets, clogging landfills and ending up in our water.

In Berkeley, with Clean Water Action’s encouragement, local officials passed the nation’s toughest zero waste policy to phase out single-use plastic foodware items, limit items such as lids, straws and drink sleeves to “by request” only, expand composting and more.

ReThink Disposable also worked in Alameda, California on a model program to “untrash” the entire island, involving more than 212 businesses. Six of the early adopters eliminated 325,000 disposable items and 3,000 pounds of waste. The historic Alameda Theatre and Cineplex, the first cinema to join, was projected to eliminate 600,000 disposable packaging items, save $16,000 and reduce 5,595 pounds of waste annually.

In New Jersey, ReThink Disposable is spotlighting zero-waste practices or “straw-free” days at the Dodge Poetry Festival and other events and in Newark, Red Bank, Asbury Park, Jersey City and other communities. Clean Water Action campaigned for a strong statewide ban on single-use plastic bags, and secured a veto on legislation that would have been too weak to get the job done.

In Rhode Island, Clean Water Action signed up its first five ReThink Disposable businesses, while supporting municipal bag bans and educating consumers, bolstered by findings from its 2017 Narrangansett Bay waste trawl which found evidence of microplastics pollution in 100% of collected samples.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: ReThink Disposable

STOP WASTE BEFORE IT STARTS

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dID YOU KNOW?

• 67% of street litter is comprised of disposable food and beverage packaging items that pollute waterways, coastlines, and wildlife. • By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (by weight)!• Recycling and composting food packaging is not enough.

• REFUSING throwaway items is the only way to prevent pollution and keep our oceans free from plastic.

To learn more about how ReThink Disposable is working to end the throwaway lifestyle in your community go to www.rethinkdisposable.org.

© 2019 Copyright by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund. All rights reserved.

T hank you for choosing to

REUSE at the Marketplace!

ditch the

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Your choice helped save the planet!

Reducing wasteful disposable packaging

supports our businesses to implement

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Additional activities and progress by Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund in 2018:

▲ Lowes to Act on Toxic Paint Strippers: Clean Water Action and national Mind the Store campaign allies scored a big win in May when the Lowe’s home improvement chain agreed to phase out methylene chloride and n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), toxic ingredients found in many paint stripping products. Organizers educated and rallied customers outside of stores nationwide, emailed the company’s CEO, called customer service lines and delivered letters direct to local store managers. The move adds pressure for other big retailers like Home Depot, Walmart and Menards to follow suit.

B Strengthened state procurement policies in Minnesota and Rhode Island to steer purchasing away from products with toxic or hazardous ingredients, including PFAS chemicals.

B Participated in Boston’s Zero Waste planning process, leading to a commitment that recycling contract workers would receive a living wage.

B Won legislation to ban toxic flame retardants in children’s products and furniture in Massachusetts, losing the measure to a veto, but positioning the bill strongly for future passage.

B Watchdogged spending from Minnesota’s $850 million settlement with 3M for PFAS chemical contamination in the Twin Cities’ east metro area to ensure that local drinking water needs are met.

B Pressed state officials to strengthen ineffective regulations implementing Maryland’s Keep Antibiotics Effective Act and recruited Pollinator Protection Squad volunteers to help identify and report stores out of compliance with the state’s ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSChair: Maxine Lipeles St. Louis, MOWilliam Fontenot Baton Rouge, LADavid Hahn-Baker Buffalo, NY

Kate Reid Koeze Grand Rapids, MIVernice Miller-Travis Bowie, MD

CORPORATE OFFICERSPresident: Robert WendelgassSecretary: Dianne Akabli

Assistant Secretary: Kathleen Aterno

Protecting water and health, from watershed to water tap.CLEAN WATER FUND’s programs reach and involve more than one million households each year through outreach, education, organizing, advocacy and policy action at the local, state and national levels.

Together with Clean Water Action, Clean Water Fund supports the goal of fishable, swimmable, drinkable water for everyone.

Priority programs and strategies include:• Policies that Put Drinking Water First, from watershed to water tap;• Environmental health solutions that prevent waste and pollution

at the source;• Clean energy and climate solutions that create jobs and protect water.

Clean Water Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose programs build on and complement those of Clean Water Action.

Clean Water Fund and Clean Water Action share some staffing and offices and collaborate on programs, including many described in this Annual Report. Clean Water Fund’s involvement is limited to those activities appropriate to its 501(c)(3) tax status.

Clean Water Fund’s Board is an independent governing body with five current members, all of whom serve as volunteers.

Arcadia Power, helping Clean Water Action members boost clean renewable energy development by adding wind and solar to their home energy mix. www.ArcadiaPower.com/cleanwaterAVEDA, supporting Clean Water Fund programs in California, New England and Pennsylvania through Earth Month fundraising and grants. www.Aveda.comBeneficial State Bank, where profits are invested in clean energy, sustainable farming and community benefit.

Benevity.org, collaborating with Clean Water Fund and Earth Share to support environmental giving options in workplace philanthropy.

CleanChoice Energy helping Clean Water Action members choose clean renewable wind and solar for their electricity supply. www.CleanChoiceEnergy/CleanWaterCharity Gift Certificates, where you can donate gift cards that benefit Clean Water Fund and also redeem old, unused gift cards from stores or restaurants and convert them into donations for Clean Water Fund. www.CharityGiftCertificates.orgEnergy Sage, providing an online platform to help Clean Water Action members request and evaluate solar energy options. www.EnergySage.com/p/CleanWater

LEGACY GIFTSYour Clean Water Legacy — Both Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund welcome gifts by will or bequest, by beneficiary designations on insurance, retirement or investment accounts, or by donating stocks or other appreciated assets. Creating a legacy gift can be surprisingly easy and is one powerful way to have a lasting impact for clean water. Call or e-mail to request your Clean Water Legacy Gift information packet today. Please let us know if you have already made a Clean Water legacy gift commitment so that we may thank you. Call 202.330.2379 or e-mail legacy@cleanwater.org

WORKPLACE GIVINGClean Water Fund receives additional support from thousands more who participate in their employers’ matching gift and/or workplace giving programs. Clean Water Fund is a founding member of Earth Share, the national organization which raises workplace giving funds for its members — the nation’s leading environmental and conservation nonprofits. Clean Water Fund is active in Earth Share’s national leadership and its many state affiliates and chapters, as well as with the independent Minnesota Environmental Fund. Federal employees support Clean Water Fund (CFC #10636) through the Combined Federal Campaign. Contact Clean Water Fund to see if a workplace giving program could be an asset for your business or workplace, development@cleanwater.org

MATCHING GIFTSMany employers will match their employees’ donations to Clean Water Fund, and will often double or triple the amount originaly donated. Let us know how we can be of assistance, development@cleanwater.org

DONOR ADVISED FUNDSClean Water Fund gratefully receives gifts and grants from a number of Donor Advised Funds affiliated with financial institutions and community foundations. Please contact us if you would like assistance or advice on arranging your gift, development@cleanwater.org

*One Percent for the Planet Members

Guacamole Fund,* supporting Clean Water Fund through tabling opportunities and special fundraising with touring artists Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. www.guacfund.orgHeavy Seas Beer, celebrating the connection between clean water and great beer and “PartnerShips” series brewing collaborator MadTree Brewing. www.HSBeer.com Kleen Kanteen,* sponsoring Clean Water Fund’s ReThink Disposable programs. www.kleankanteen.comPatagonia,* supporting Clean Water Fund’s programs with grants and product donations. www.patagonia.comSurveyMonkey Contribute, with 435,000+ volunteer survey panelists sharing their opinions to generate donations for Clean Water Fund. https://contribute.surveymonkey.com/charity-sign-up/clean-water-fundTango Card, offering its clients the opportunity to donate rewards and incentives to Clean Water Fund. www.tangocard.comTemperCraft*stainless, insulated bottles, tumblers and growlers.

BUSINESSES FOR CLEAN WATERWe gratefully acknowledge gifts, grants and partnership donations from the following business supporters:

Clean Water Honorees: Clean Water Action honored DC Statehood activist and canvassing leader Barb Helmick, and retiring board chair David Tykulsker at a Washington, DC event in October, presenting Helmick with the first annual David Zwick award and Tykulsker with the first Peter Lockwood award. The awards recognize these two leaders and honor the legacy created by the organization’s late founder (Zwick) and longest-serving board member (Lockwood).

CLEAN WATER ACTION FY18 FINANCES CLEAN WATER FUND FY18 FINANCES

Texas Celebration: Clean Water Action marked its 30th Anniversary in Texas at a May 15 event in Austin, featuring national board member and Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea and political activist and former state Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower and other grassroots leaders.

Give Confidently. You have our commitment that Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund will be efficient and effective stewards of the resources you provide. Clean Water Fund has once again earned the top 4-star rating from independent charity watchdog, Charity Navigator.Copies of the latest audited financial statements can be obtained online at www.cleanwateraction.org or www.cleanwaterfund.org or by writing the national offices.

Institutional Giving:$38,238

In Kind Donations:$36,973

Interest:$24,590

Individual Contributions:$8,774,479

REVENUES

Other:$7,001

Program & Supporting Services: $6,122,008

Fundraising: $2,233,479

Program & Supporting Services: $5,192,663

Fundraising: $367,550

EXPENSES

Individual Contributions:$1,362,095

In Kind Donations:$684

Grants $3,450,913

REVENUES

Investment Gain:$21,649

EXPENSES

Headquartered in Washington, DC, Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund operate programs nationally, regionally and locally, from a network of 19+ field offices around the country. To learn more about state and regional programs visit www.cleanwateraction.org/states

1444 Eye Street, NW, Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20005 | 202.895.0420 www.CleanWaterAction.org | www.CleanWaterFund.org@CleanH2OAction | facebook.com/CleanWaterAction